Abattoir
by Obsidian Tear
Summary: Seven years have passed since the end of the Clone Wars. Most of the bounty hunters have moved on with their lives - but the Empire needs them for one last gig.
1. Chapter 1

So... uh... hi! I was not expecting to be back here ever again... and yet here I am. Currently, I am just transferring a fic over here that I post on AO3. I don't know if it will stay, seeing as though it is fairly adult and FF. net is not happy with that sort of stuff... but whatever. I'll cross that bridge when I get there. So... I hope you enjoy.

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"What is your best quality, Boba?"

Boba must've been four or five at this point; he could remember lying in bed, listening to the laughter just outside his room. The only light in the room radiated from his stained-glass nightlight he had been gifted when he started to fear the darkness. He stared curiously into the face of the woman he may have called 'mother' had he known the word. Her gentle, pale hands carded through his hair as she unsuccessfully tried to coax him to sleep; he giggled and peered up into her warm amber eyes.

"Kwalitee?"

The woman only chuckled; someone called her name from outside the door, but she ignored them as she clarified. "What do you like best about yourself?"

Boba thought for a moment, his attention drawn to the sprawling brown lines that mapped the soft curves of her face; he reached out and gently touched the line that divided her chin. As a child, these lines confused him; but as an adult, he memorized those tattoos and the story of heartbreak that accompanied them.

"I can draw real good!" There were days when he would spend hours upon hours in his room, doodling his father's friends with his crayon set and sketchpad. Even the infamous Cad Bane's face seemed to light up when Boba presented him with his drawings.

"You can, darling." She grinned, flashing her pointed teeth; for the longest time, Boba would wait for his 'cool teeth' to grow in. He was so disappointed when they didn't... "Every picture you give me is tacked to the walls in my ship. I'll show you one day."

"Daddy says I'm real smart. I can count to one hundred."

"You are very smart, Boba. Smarter than even I am." Being smarter than a grown-up was quite the accomplishment to Boba, and he reveled in this when he was younger. He later learned that she may have embellished the truth just a little bit; sure she was unlearned, but she was as sharp as a whip and incredibly intuitive. "What else?"

"I'm nice to the longnecks, even when Daddy isn't."

"And why is that, Boba?" She inquired. Boba pondered for a moment, before shrugging.

"I want them to smile… I like it when people smile!" He beamed, and the woman gently pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"You, my sweet, are creative and brave and smart beyond measure. Life is going to teach you a lot of things, but there is one thing that you must always remember, no matter what. You must remember to be kind, even when it's hard."

The door slid open, and in stepped his father; he looked tired, but he was happy – Boba could just sense it. Jango knelt beside her, whispering something lowly into her ear; she stood slowly, her eyes drawing to the voices outside the door.

"I have to go." She bent down to press another kiss to his forehead, before starting toward the exit; she paused, standing in the doorway. "Do you understand what I have told you?"

Boba nodded as he watched her disappear; his father took her place and sung him to sleep with a quiet lullaby.

"Eh, Boba… would you look at that…"

Boba looked up from his drink to spy the bartender tidying up the 'bounty board', as most patrons called it. It was a blaring reminder of the top bounty hunters at the time and it was constantly changing… more now than it ever had. Although Cad Bane still held the top space, names like Latts Razzi and Embo were no longer present; most nonhuman hunters had fled the field when the Empire took over, and now the bounty board was looking incredibly…. Human.

Boba watched in anticipation as the bartender wiped Cad's name from the top. In one way, he was glad that the old man was gone; he had held the top spot for far too long. But in another way… it made his stomach clench. He missed the hunters of the old days, and it felt as though a little bit of him was stolen every time one of them disappeared; they were the only family had left at this point…

He shook his head as Aurra took the top spot, followed closely by Dengar; Boba watched as his name was bumped up a few spots, from the seventh spot to the fourth spot. But this victory felt awfully hollow.

"Did he die?" Boba inquired. The bartender shook his head as he tidied the rest of the board.

"Nah. He just dropped off the radar like most of the others." The human man climbed down the stool and wiped his forehead with one of his rags. He turned his attention toward Dengar, who was smiling smugly. "Congrats, number two."

The Corellian beamed as he received his complimentary drink and knocked it back; he let out a rather loud and obnoxious laugh, before patting Boba on the shoulder.

"Try to keep up, kid." He snorted, his attention drawn toward one of the lovely dancers who seductively complimented him; Boba just rolled his eyes as he tried to remember why he was hanging out with the older man.

He stared down at his empty glass, his mind racing in ten million directions; he briefly wondered where Cad had wandered off to before he was interrupted. The bartender slid him a drink – one that Boba didn't order. Boba sent the man a questioning glance, and the barkeep gestured toward someone sitting in a booth at the back of the bar; it wasn't uncommon for Boba to get gigs this way, so he went along with it. He swiped the drink up, before meandering over to the unknown man.

"Mr. Fett, I presume?"

"Whaddya want?" Boba frowned as he slid into the seat across from the man; the most defining feature about this man was that he had no defining features. Boba could easily point out any white-skinned human on the holonet and it would look just like him; he was middle-aged, clean-shaven, and he had all his teeth. He definitely didn't look as though he belonged there…

"I have… a gig for you." The way he said 'gig' sounded as though he was an old man trying to mimic the newest teenage lingo; it felt out of place, especially when mixed with his posh accent.

"Imperial?"

Even without his accent to betray him, it was evident that the man before him had been through Imperial training. His elbows never touched the table, his back was ramrod straight, and he constantly looked as though he was constipated. Boba had to stifle a giggle.

"You are intuitive, I'll give you that." The officer huffed, a small frown pulling at his thin lips; his blue eyes glinted coldly in the low light of the bar. "Would you like to hear what I have to say, or should I move on?"

"Go ahead." Boba leaned back, propping his feet up on the table; the Imperial seemed offended, almost as if this action was equal to Boba pissing on his mother's grave. The Imperial swallowed hard, before adjusting his collar.

"It has been brought to the Empire's attention that you were… close with some of the hunters of old." He mentioned this fact as if the Clone Wars had happened over fifty years ago… not seven. Boba shrugged but didn't give him anything beyond that. "The Empire would like you to gather them together. For that, we will pay you handsomely."

"That's… it?"

"Not quite. While the Empire holds a certain… disdain for criminals such as you, we all agree that you all are effective at what you do. So, we have a second task for you and your syndicate to fulfill; the Emperor wants the Hutt Empires dismantled, and he has all the faith in the galaxy that they could do it."

Boba knew there was a catch – there was always a catch when it came to working with the Empire; he narrowed his eyes as he watched the man's body language. He was still stiff as all hell, but Boba could see that something was off; he just had to figure out what it was.

"And you are to… what? Kill them off when they serve their purpose?"

"Hardly. We want to show the aliens that the Empire is not their enemy, and what better way to do this than to have aliens employed into our service."

"So, basically, you are hiring them instead of humans to boost your PR?" Boba just shook his head, a bit flabbergasted. "Unbelievable."

The man said nothing to this, but his eyes narrowed; he looked to be typing something underneath the table, but maintained eye contact with Boba the entire time. It was almost as if this man was sizing him up – and Boba didn't like that.

"What do they get?"

"A hefty reward, plus full pardons. They will be able to live freely without fear of retribution." He didn't skip a beat, as if this was something he rehearsed; Boba tried to ignore the knots in his stomach, but found it easier said than done. Something was up…

"And what if I say no?" Boba inquired, noting that a red laser dot appeared on the table; it slowly meandered up the length of his body to rest in the middle of his forehead… or so he assumed. He stiffened, and sighed. "I'll talk to them, but there is no guarantee that they'll agree."

"Oh, I trust that you'll convince them." The Imperial leaned forward, a sinister smile creeping across his face. "Tell them that the Empire will… not take kindly to such defiance. Are we clear, Mr. Fett?"

"Crystal." Boba hissed as he extended his hand to shake; the man slipped him a comm. number and a list of names, before stealing away. Boba watched as the officer disappeared into the crowd, before peering down at the piece of flimsi; Cad Bane, Embo, Sugi, Latts Razzi, Bossk... everyone he expected to be there was. Now... he just had to find them.


	2. Chapter 2

Guess who's back, back again? Not me lol. I hope you read this chapter and feel an inevitable sensation of dread, as if you forgot to do your homework. Why? I certainly don't know.

BTW there's gay stuff and if that bothers you then I am not an author you should be reading.

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Boba _stood in the hallway, rocking on the balls of his feet as he stared at the door; it was his birthday, and his Daddy had invited all of Boba's favorite people. He had stood there, waiting for what felt like an hour before Jango knelt beside him; Boba knew his father must've been confused, seeing as though Boba was not known to stay still for this long. They watched the door together for a few_ minutes, _before Jango turned toward him._

 _"Whatcha doin', kiddo?"_

 _"Waiting for Sugi and 'Bo." Boba grinned, his gaze still glued to the door; for some reason, Boba had always called the Kyuzo bounty hunter 'Bo'. It was a little silly, but it had stuck; even as an adult, he had trouble reminding himself to use the man's real name._

 _Jango just chuckled as he patted his young son's shoulder. "Why don't you help me make the cake – that way, they can help you decorate it when they get here."_

 _Boba's eyes lit up and he turned on his heel to dart into the kitchen; he pulled his stool from the corner, and plopped it down in front of the counter. He climbed up, clapping enthusiastically as Jango set a large magenta bowl in front of him; he then handed his son the boxed cake mix, before instructing him to pour it into the bowl. Boba poured gently, precisely, and giggled when he didn't spill any of it._

 _"Now listen carefully, Boba; I need you to get a cup of water. Do you think you could do that?" Jango inquired as he handed Boba the cup measure; Boba nodded and scrambled toward the sink, his little heart racing. He reached for the edge of the sink, quickly realizing that he had forgotten his stool. He struggled to reach for a_ moment, _before his attention was torn away by a knock on the door._

 _Boba squealed as he dropped the measure and sprinted toward the door; it slid open, revealing the ever-mysterious Kyuzo bounty hunter. Embo bent down to ruffle Boba's_ hair, _and laughed when Boba jumped up and wrapped his arms around his neck._

 _"'Bo, 'Bo, 'Bo!" Boba chanted as Embo stood, pulling Boba off the ground; the little boy swung from the Kyuzo's neck, screeching in delight the entire time. Embo seemed entirely calm with a youngling hanging from his neck, and shrugged it off as completely normal; Boba later attributed this to the fact that the man had fifteen - **fifteen** \- younger siblings. Jango, on the other hand, was not pleased with Boba's behavior._

 _"Boba, don't be rude."_

 _Boba dropped to the ground at that, and rushed back to his father's side; Jango hefted him up onto the_ counter, _and handed Boba the cold, metal spoon._

 _"Where's Sugi?" Boba inquired as he stirred the cake goop; he stuck his finger into the batter and snuck a taste when his father was distracted. He hummed in pleasure before turning back toward the Kyuzo; Embo gracefully entered the_ kitchen, _and leaned against the counter opposite of Boba._

 _"She's wrapping your presents." He whispered conspiratorially, causing Boba to buzz upon the counter._

 _"Presents?"'_

 _Embo nodded, before digging around in his bandolier; he withdrew a small candy, before passing it off to the birthday boy. Boba greedily took it and popped it into his mouth, savoring the way the fruit flavor played on his tongue. Jango shook his head, exasperatedly, as Embo offered Jango a similar candy; Jango thought for a moment, before taking the candy with the same sort of tenacity that Boba had._

 _Boba was so focused on his candy that he didn't witness the door slide open; when he looked up, he noted a precarious tower of presents carefully meandering toward the living room. When everything was nestled safely on the ground, Sugi appeared from behind the stack; Boba squealed again as he slipped off the counter and charged at her - full speed. She raised her hands in surrender, a loud laugh escaping her lips as he wrapped his arms around her waist._

 _"Hey, darling." She gently kissed the top of his head and wrapped him in a bear hug; she then scooped him up under his arms and rested him on her hip. "You're getting so big!"_

 _He giggled as she dug around the pile for an unwrapped box; she gripped it in her free hand as she carried Boba over toward his father. He stared at the mountain of presents in awe, so engulfed in this that he barely noted her poking him in the side. She turned to him, and offered him the box; he accepted it graciously, before opening it to reveal an expensive bottle of brandy._

 _"You two spoil us so." Jango chuckled as he gently kissed her cheek; Sugi shot him a toothy grin as she bounced Boba a bit._

 _"That's why we're your favorites. Right, Boba?"_

 _Boba nodded enthusiastically as she set him down; he spared only a small glance at the gifts, before gripping her hand in his and pulling her toward the magenta bowl._

 _"Help me make the_ cake- _." He felt his father's glare, and he frowned slightly. "Please!"_

Boba sighed as he sat up in his bunk in Slave One; he wasn't sure how he felt about tracking down the people he had once called his family. On the one hand, he couldn't wait to see them again – on the other hand, he hadn't seen some of them in over ten years... people changed a lot in that amount of time.

He fumbled for his datapad, which rested at his side; it was triangulating the approximate locations of the bounty hunters, which was proving more difficult than Boba expected. There wasn't much to go on, as they seemed to cover their tracks fairly well; they had all but disappeared according to the Empire, so he was going on hearsay at this point. And… unfortunately, most of the accounts were fairly unreliable.

He peered up at the screen, noting that there were several accounts of minor mercenaries spotting Cad on Tatooine; well, he knew where his first stop was. His datapad whirred angrily as it tried to filter the appropriate information, but didn't produce any more results.

Boba sat up and tossed his datapad onto his bunk; he was hoping that he would've found Sugi first, as she scared him much less than Cad did. But as per usual, fate hated him and wanted him to go after the most dangerous one out of the group first.

He climbed up into the cockpit and plopped down into the pilot's seat; Slave One roared to life, and slowly ascended into the atmosphere. Boba waited for the ship to clear the atmosphere before lazily entering the coordinates to Tatooine; he propped his feet up onto the dash, and leaned back in his chair.

His mind slowly drifted off, and Boba reveled in the memories.

 _Boba peered out of his bedroom, watching as his father laughed with his friends; he was supposed to be asleep, but he didn't want to miss out on the fun. He stayed in the shadows, knowing that if he was caught, his father would promptly put him back to bed; he plopped down near his_ doorway, _and rested his chin on his fist._

 _"They ever going to release you from this prison?" Sugi inquired as she took a puff from a cigarette; a sweet smelling smoke wafted around the room, and Boba immediately memorized the scent. He let out a tiny sigh as he reveled in it._

 _"Probably not. The longnecks need my DNA until they're ordered to stop making soldiers… and they've given me no indication that's happening anytime soon." Jango swirled the brandy around in his glass; Cad took a seat on his father's lap, and the two shared a brief kiss. Cue a faux gag from Sugi._

 _"Ugh...Get a room."_

 _Jango just rolled his eyes as he turned to plant a long, deep kiss to the Duro's lips; Sugi just shook her head incredulously, while Embo giggled. Jango just raised his glass to them, before downing the drink; before Boba knew it Sugi had pulled his father up and the two were dancing. Cad had moved to sit on Embo's lap, and the two spoke lowly._

 _Boba couldn't stop himself – he shot up and wandered into the room, hoping to join in on the fun. Everyone froze and turned to look at him, confused and horrified; he wasn't aware of it_ then, _but had he waited a few minutes, he could've witnessed some things that would scar him for life. Turns out, some people were feeling frisky that night..._

 _Sugi looked up at Jango, before letting go of his hands; she started to approach Boba, a bit wobbly._

 _"Darling-."_

 _"I got this." Cad stood and tipped his hat toward the three; they slowly resumed their merriment as Cad led Boba back toward his room. Boba thought this was most odd; Cad generally wasn't as warm and fuzzy as -say- Sugi or his father. Boba frowned, swearing that he was in trouble. "What were you doin', kid?"_

 _"I'm not tired." Boba pouted as Cad gestured for him to climb back into bed; he_ did, _and huffed when Cad pulled his quilt up to Boba's chin._

 _"When your dad puts you to bed, the idea is for you to stay in bed."_

 _"But I wanted to have fun with you guys!" Boba's frown deepened, and he crossed his arms over his chest._

 _"You can – in the morning." Cad knelt with a sigh, as he carefully removed his hat. "But right now, you need to sleep."_

 _"But why?"_

 _"Because all good bounty hunters need rest. Especially the little ones." Cad set his hat on Boba's toy box, before offering the boy a fang-filled grin. "Can you guard my hat for me tonight? I don't want it getting lost."_

 _Boba nodded slowly as he cast the leather hat a look; Cad awkwardly patted Boba's head, before standing. "Goodnight, kid."_

 _"Goodnight." Boba tried his hardest to stay awake, to prove that he really wasn't tired. Against his will, he slowly drifted off to sleep_.

Boba was jolted back into the present when Slave One exited hyperspace; he had been to Tatooine more times than he could count, but every time the sandy planet appeared in his viewport, he felt a wave of disgust flow through his body. There was something about Tatooine that didn't sit well with him – not to mention that it took hours to remove the sand from his armor.

He got why Bane would settle there, though; Jabba the Hutt was not friendly with the Empire, and it was less likely that Bane would be ratted out in the slug's territory. It wouldn't be the first place Boba would go, but he understood none the less.

He sighed as Slave One entered the atmosphere, and he carefully started landing procedures; he stared down at the comm., noting that it was flashing. With another sigh, he answered it.

"May I ask what it is that you are doing here?" A rather mousy voice inquired.

"I'm looking for someone. That's all you're getting." He cut off the transmission before they could say anything else; he didn't have the time to argue with some dock-keeper over his right to land there. He needed to get Cad, and get out.

The old ship touched down in Jabba's shipyard, and Boba rose from the pilot's seat. He gathered his gear and strapped it to his body, before finally grabbing his helmet; he debated for a moment, before putting it on and exiting the ship. He was not greeted by someone, as he half-expected; he did note that the dockmaster was watching him from the corner of his eyes, but the man made no move to stop him. Boba just gave the Rodian man a small nod, before strutting toward the expansive palace.

The doors were opened for him the moment he arrived, and he reveled in this sort of recognition; it was just a bummer that Jabba was willingly letting in someone who was supposed to end up destroying him in the near future…

Boba slowly made his way toward the bar, noting that the Hutt Lord was in the next room over; he wasn't sure what the slug was doing, but judging by the grunts and hollers, he seemed to be enjoying himself. Boba shivered and curled his lip in disgust, before scanning the crowd of bar-goers; scum, scum, scum… oh, hello. His eyes rested on what looked like Cad's infamous hat. Boba carefully approached, noting that the Duros hunter – ex-hunter- seemed to be involved in his drink; and yet, as Boba carefully slid into the booth across from Cad, he knew that Cad was palming a blaster underneath the table.

"Whaddya want, Fett?" Cad drawled as he swirled the whiskey around in his glass; when Boba didn't answer, Cad looked up. "Did Aurra send you to brag about her recent promotion?"

"No. I haven't spoken to her in a few years now." Boba slowly removed his bucket and set it down on the table; pain flashed in Cad's blood red eyes as he observed Boba – the boy who shared a face with a man he once loved. Cad looked away, a low sigh escaping his lips.

"Are you just here to torment me, then?" Cad tipped his hat down, just slightly; Boba cocked a brow as the man stared into his drink.

"No. I have a business proposition."

Cad perked at this, although he still seemed mightily displeased. "I just retired, kid. Why would you think I would want to come back?"

"I… have a feeling you will. But it's not safe to talk about it here – do you have somewhere we could go?"

"Outside." That was all Cad offered as he stood and walked out of the bar. Boba watched him leave before shaking his head; he snatched up his helmet and followed after the man, trying to ignore the guffaws of the crime lord. He meandered through the palace, nodding at anyone he recognized and brushing past those he didn't. Boba stepped out the doors, noting that Cad was leaning against the wall a few feet away. "What're ya here for?"

"I was hired to gather you and the others for a gig." Boba knew the moment he mentioned the Empire, Cad would refuse – so he tried to ease the Duros into it.

"The others?"

"Embo, Sugi, Latts, and Bossk." This seemed to pique Cad's interest, but the frown on his face deepened; this was not a good sign.

"Why?"

"We would then – together- take down the Hutt Empires." Boba stated quietly, hoping not to alert the Gamorrean guards nearby; he watched as Cad's eyes widened and his mouth hung open. He tried to find the right words to say, before rubbing the back of his neck. Boba wasn't sure if Cad was shocked by the idea of dismantling an empire, or by the idea of the credits he would earn; at this point, Boba didn't really care.

"Who's hiring?"

"The… Empire." Boba faltered, noting the way that Cad shook his head; there was a moment of silence, and Boba was sure that Cad was going to refuse.

"I'll do it."

Had Boba been drinking something, he would've spit it out incredulously; he turned toward Cad, who was still frowning.

"Alright. That's… great! I didn't even need to give you the spiel." Boba hooked his bucket to his belt, before fishing around in his utility belt for a cigarette. He perched it between his lips and lit it, noting a chuckle from Cad.

"Vanilla flavored?" Boba just shrugged, feigning innocence; Cad bit his lip to keep from laughing. "I always thought she was a bad influence on you. Speaking of which, where is the old lady?"

"I was hoping you would have some sort of idea." They started toward the docks; Boba noted that Cad hands still seemed to be hovering over his blasters, almost as if he still didn't trust Boba.

"My first and only guess would be Phatrong… but seeing as the Empire stripped the planet of anything useful… I've got nothing."

"Yeah…" Boba rubbed the back of his head; he knew the Empire was shitty, but he had no other choice but to go through with the gig…. Right?

"You know, Embo's going to be hard to convince."

"I realize this." Boba frowned as they approached Slave One; he hadn't thought about that much until now. The fact that the Kyuzo's homeworld was destroyed and his people were enslaved... this didn't bode well for the gig. He was so involved with his thoughts that he didn't notice that Cad whipped out one of his blasters; he was wrenched from his thoughts when Cad pressed the barrel of the blaster underneath Boba's chin.

"I swear to the stars… if you betray me, I will end you." As if to emphasize his point, he jabbed the barrel harder into Boba's skin. "Got it?"

"Yeah. I get it." Boba waved him off, silently exhaling when Cad holstered his blaster; he watched as Cad climbed up into his beloved ship, before sighing. He hoped he wasn't making a terrible mistake.


End file.
